1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally related to a basketball system and, in particular, to a basketball goal that may include features such as a breakaway rim, curved support arms, curved support pole and/or a backboard with a curved outer surface.
2. Description of Related Art
The game of basketball is played by many people throughout the United States and the world. Briefly, the game of basketball includes a flat and level playing surface with a basketball goal at each end of the court. The basketball goal typically includes a support pole with a backboard and rim or hoop attached to the top of the support pole. The rim or hoop is normally located ten feet above the playing surface and the backboard is constructed from materials such as tempered glass.
Conventional basketball goals include rigidly mounting the hoop to the basketball backboard so that the face of the backboard is positioned perpendicular to the playing surface and the hoop is positioned parallel to the playing surface. The mounting of the hoop to the backboard must be sufficiently rigid so that the hoop is capable of withstanding various forces and impacts during the game of basketball. For example, the hoop must remain in a generally stationary position so that the basketball rebounds and bounces off the rim in a consistent, dependable manner. In addition, the hoop must be able to withstand various impacts by the players during the game.
In recent years it has become increasingly popular to “dunk” the basketball in which the basketball is thrown through the hoop with great force and velocity. In particular, the basketball is thrown through the hoop from a position above the rim. While it is possible to dunk the basketball without the basketball or the player touching the rim, it is not uncommon for a player to strike the rim with the basketball and/or his or her hands and arms while dunking the basketball. A player may also grab and/or suspend themselves from the rim after dunking the basketball. In addition, a player may strike the rim while playing or practicing to play basketball. For example, a player may strike the rim while playing defense such as when one blocks or attempts to block another person's shot. These forces caused by dunking the basketball and players contacting, grabbing or suspending themselves from the rim impart substantial forces on the goal.
If the force applied to the basketball rim is of sufficient magnitude, many problems could result. For example, if the basketball backboard is constructed from tempered glass, the force may shatter the glass. This may result in injury to players surrounding the goal and spectators in the immediate area. In addition, the tempered glass backboard has to be replaced before the game can be continued. Unfortunately, replacing the glass backboard often requires a substantial amount of time and that may result in an unacceptable delay of the basketball game. Additionally, tempered glass backboards are very expensive and it may be prohibitively expensive to replace glass backboards each time they are damaged.
Known basketball backboards are also constructed from materials other than tempered glass. For example, known basketball backboards may also be manufactured using thermoformed plastic. Thermoformed plastic is a relatively strong material, but it is also brittle. The brittle nature of the thermoformed plastic makes it susceptible to cracking or shattering upon impact. Accordingly, basketball backboards constructed from thermoformed plastic are vulnerable to being cracked and broken. In addition, basketball backboards constructed from thermoformed plastic often require the use of strengthening ribs and other reinforcement structures in order to increase the stiffness and rigidity of the backboard. These ribs and reinforcement structures often detract from the aesthetics of the backboard and add to the complexity of the design and manufacturing process. The ribs and reinforcement structures may also increase the costs and time required to construct the backboard. Further, many thermoformed plastic basketballs are formed from two or more pieces that must be connected together, which generally requires additional time and parts to assemble. Therefore, thermoformed plastic backboards are relatively costly to manufacture and have many disadvantages.
Basketball backboards constructed from thermoformed plastic, however, are generally more resistant to shattering or breaking in comparison to basketball backboards constructed from tempered glass. The forces applied to the rim when a player dunks the basketball or otherwise contacts the rim may still damage the backboard even if it is constructed from thermoformed plastic. In addition to breaking or damaging the backboard, it is also possible to bend or otherwise deform the rim. For example, if sufficient force is applied to the rim, the rim may bend from its horizontal position into a deformed, angled configuration. This is very undesirable because the rim must remain horizontal and parallel to the playing surface to play basketball. After a rim has been bent into a deformed position, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to restore the rim to its original, horizontal position. Thus, the rim must usually be replaced, which is often time consuming and difficult to accomplish. Further, rims used in connection with home, playground and portable basketball systems are more likely to be bent and deformed because these types of rims are often not as strong and durable as rims used for professional basketball games. Therefore, rims used in connection with home, playground and portable basketball systems are more likely to be damaged and in need of replacement.
It is known use a basketball rim that will “breakaway” or deflect from its original horizontal position when a threshold force is applied to the rim in order to prevent damage to the rim or backboard. In particular, when a force greater than a predetermined amount of force is applied to the rim, the rim is allowed to pivot downwardly before the rim or backboard is damaged. These known breakaway rims allow the rim to maintain its horizontal position during regular play such as when a basketball bounces off the rim. The breakaway rims, however, deflect downwardly when a substantial amount of force is applied to the rim, such as someone dunking a basketball or grabbing onto the rim, in order to absorb much of the energy applied to the rim.
Known breakaway rims, however, are often very complex and include multiple parts. Most known breakaway rims position the various mechanisms and parts in the limited space between the rim and the backboard. This small area forces the parts to be very small and spaced very close together, which increases manufacturing time and costs. This also makes these known breakaway rims very difficult to adjust and repair. Additionally, known breakaway rims often include multiple moving parts that are subject to wear over time. Disadvantageously, if the parts being to wear, that may allow the rim to be held in a less than stable and rigid position, which is very undesirable when playing basketball because the rim may undesirably “give” or move during the game. In addition, a safety hazard may be created because hands or fingers may be caught or injured in the mechanisms and parts located in front of the backboard. Further, the forwardly extending components of the breakaway rim may also create an aesthetically unpleasing design and the components may be difficult to install or replace.
As with most mechanical systems, the complexity of many known breakaway basketball rims can result in several disadvantages. For example, conventional breakaway rims are often constructed with numerous parts and components located in a very confirmed area. The numerous parts and components are often relatively expensive and the breakaway rims are frequently difficult to manufacture, which may result in an increased price to the consumer. Additionally, the complex nature of these known breakaway rims often leads to a greater frequency of failure. Further, many previous breakaway rims are constructed of materials which are not designed for outdoor use. Thus, the breakaway rims can only be used indoors or, if the breakaway rims are used outdoors, then the parts may prematurely rust or deteriorate. Finally, the relatively small components located in a very compact area make conventional breakaway basketball rims very difficult to repair and replace.
In addition, conventional breakaway rims are typically mounted directly to the basketball backboard by fasteners such as bolts or screws. Thus, holes or opening must be created in the backboard, which may weaken or decrease the structural integrity of the backboard. In addition, because the rim is attached to the backboard, significant forces may be transferred from the rim to the backboard. For example, when a player dunks a basketball or otherwise contacts the rim, then the force on the rim may be directly transmitted to the backboard. This transfer of the force from the rim to the backboard can cause unnecessary wear and/or damage to the backboard.